The OTHER eye?

[Denton]

Hi,
I'm a left eyed shooter. I'd like to use my other eye with a rangefinder, but find it is difficult to get used to. Any tricks to train the other eye or anyone successfully made the switch?---How'd you do it?

Denton

 

[nikon_sam]

I also shoot with the left eye and have no reasons at this time to try training my right eye...
Whenever I read a thread like this one "Left Eye-Right Eye" I try looking & shooting with my right eye and I just can't...I just feels weird and wrong...I'm too busy thinking how wrong it is that I can't focus on what I'm doing...
It's like throwing a football with my left hand (although I'm a righty) the thought of it seems so cool but in reality I can't do it...just because I can hold the ball in my left hand doesn't mean I can throw it...

 

[calebk]

I'm right-eyed, always have been since I picked up my first camera, an EOS A2. Likewise I've also heard it's good to train both eyes, but for different reasons - what if you get into some sort of incident and your main shooting eye is injured? The other eye then becomes your contingency plan.

That said, I've not had much luck training my left eye. I always feel spastic when I try, and it doesn't come naturally to raise the viewfinder to my other eye. I guess it's all a matter of practice and making it a habit.

 

[robklurfield]

After using only my left eye for my entire life, I taught my self to shoot with right eye about two years ago. No tricks. It took a about a week of shooting to get accustomed to it. Now, I have trouble going back to the left eye (which happens to have slightly better vision). M's are a nuisance if you're stuck on the left eye. I shot with an M4 for 27 years before I get tired of seeing "nose grease" on the display window of my M8. That's all it took to get me to switch. Glad I did it. Just takes a little diligence and will power.

 

[shashinka-ichiban]

I dont have a right eye, or at least in the sense that can see through a VF. One of the toughest parts of trying to use an RF and a big put off for as long as it has been for me is trying to shoot left with them.

 

[srtiwari]

This was a reeealy vexing problem, except when using a 1:1 VF rangefinder (Canon P/ R3A etc). It seems, the problem is NOT focusing with the "worse" eye, but closing the "better" one to avoid multiple images. Now I have a 1.4 magnifier on Leica M6 .72, effectively creating a 1:1.008 VF, and, Voila ! I can keep both eyes open to shoot !!

 

[bgb]

I used to shoot right eyed but recently lost the use of that eye so now I have to shoot left eyed, it wasn't a hard transition to make especially as i had no real choice.
I don't like all the greasy marks on the back of the camera and I get sick of sticking my thumb into my eye ... yeah only once!
Do any left eyed shooters have a recommendation for a camera that seems to work for left eyed shooters, I guess a TLR would or a WLF on a 'blad but what about regular rangefinder cameras or dare i suggest it an SLR?
I spent last weekend shooting with the GSN and it was ok I find my Nikon F80 less than ideal but i guess i could adapt.
As for the original question as I have done it in reverse all I can advise is practice practice practice.

 

[andredossantos]

I'm also a left eyed shooter. Lately I've been consciously using my right eye just in case or whatever. It was hard at first but while it still not entirely as "natural" feeling it's getting a bit easier.

BTW, rangefinders are a LOT easier for me to shoot right eyed than SLR's. Dunno why.